


Ticket

by bklue18



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-30 21:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18322346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bklue18/pseuds/bklue18
Summary: Fancy things aren't always the most treasured.





	Ticket

**[Original story first posted on my now-defunct Wordpress blog]**

"And for Justin, I leave this ticket."  
 ****

He looked up at the lawyer seated at the table, wondering why his name was called.  Sure, he used to be close to Aunt Sally but he wouldn't have expected her to leave him anything.  Ever since his parents passed away, he stopped visiting his Aunt Sally so that he wouldn't be reminded of his mother's memory.  And that had been three years ago.

The lawyer pushed a sealed Ziploc bag towards him with a yellow-stained ticket inside.

He heard his cousin laugh.  "Aunt Sally sure was kooky. She left you a ratty old ticket from one of her super old amusement park dates."

"Shut up, Gene."  He heard his Aunt Betty hiss at his cousin and smiled triumphantly inside.

Aunt Sally had her quirks but Justin would never say she was weird. He often found her behavior endearing, like a replica of his mom.

"Justin?" The lawyer asked. "Do you accept?"

Everyone waited impatiently for Justin to reply.  He wasn't even sure if he should accept it.  Maybe someone with more attachments to Aunt Sally should have it.

"Well?!" He heard Aunt Marge say.

"Maybe someone else should have this?" Justin said. "I don't think I deserve this."

"Because you think you deserve her plot of land or something more?" He heard his Uncle Bill's thick Southern accent coming from his left.

The lawyer pushed it closer to Justin. "Unfortunately Justin, Miss Mckeller insists that you have her ticket."

"Take it, sweetie."

He felt his Aunt Presley's hand on his as she guided his hand over to take the Ziploc bag.  Once he picked up the bag, the lawyer nodded once and started to re-arrange his documents.  Justin got up from his seat and walked out of the room. He wasn't sure why he did but he just couldn't take sitting in there for another minute more.  He wasn't here to fight for any of Aunt Sally's bigger inheritance.  He was here to fulfill Aunt Sally's last wish of the family being together in one room.

Justin sat outside on a couch not far from the meeting room he had been in earlier.  He looked at the Ziploc bag and at the ticket inside.

'ADMIT ONE - GONZO'S AMUSEMENT PARK'

He smiled.  Gonzo's Amusement Park. He heard of that name before, when Aunt Sally was in her nostalgic mood.  She had spoken of this particular theme park - bringing back memories of when she took a job at the amusement park.  He remembered passing by the amusement park of the same name recently, and wondered if they were the same.

Justin stood up and looked at the closed door of the meeting room.  They looked like they were going to be in there for a long time so why wait outside?

* * *

Justin got out of his car and looked at the amusement park.  It looked like any ordinary amusement park except it had vintage looking banners hanging around the premises.

He walked over to the ticketing counter and pulled out his wallet.

"One ticket please." He said to the girl at the counter.

She smiled. "Sure, Justin."

The girl pulled out a ticket and passed it to him.  Justin was about to pay her when she pushed his hand back towards him. "On the house."

Justin frowned a little, unsure of what to make of the ticketing girl knowing his name and giving him a complimentary ticket.  So he did the only polite thing to do.  He gave her a small smile and took the ticket from her hand.

"Thanks." Justin murmured.

He made his way over towards the turnstiles and just as he was about to head in, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"You've got it!"

He dropped his ticket to the ground and turned to see his Aunt Sally standing there.  She looked the same as he last saw her only that she was now alive and well, looking younger than before.

"Hiya Justin!"

He blinked once. Twice. "A-Aunt Sally?"

"I have been looking everywhere for this." She said. "How did you get it?"

"You-You gave it to me." Justin said.

"I did? Oh! I did!" She said. "But I didn't expect you to come visit so fast!"

"Wha- Aunt Sally, what is going on?" Justin asked.

"Listen. I know you're still hurting and you've never stopped hurting since your parents passed. But you should know that your parents are still watching over you and they will never stop making sure you are safe." Aunt Sally said. "It's time you let go of your grief and pick yourself up."

Justin tried to swallow the emotional lump that had suddenly wedged itself within his throat.

"I'm sorry I never visited you after their funeral." Justin said.

Aunt Sally gave him a smile. "I understand, J-dog. Just know that I never blamed you and you were always my favorite nephew."

Justin felt a wet warmth run down his cheeks and his Aunt reached forward to wipe the tears away.  She cupped his face and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Till we meet again, Justin."

* * *

"Sir! Sir! Can you hear us?"

Justin blinked once, trying to turn his head to the voice but unfortunately, he couldn't. With his eyes still closed, he tried to move his arms but were met with a sharp pain.

"Don't move, sir! We're going to get you out now."

He felt two pairs of arms around him as they slowly pulled him out of his car and put him onto a stretcher.

"Can you hear me, sir?" The paramedic asked. "What's your name?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah... I can hear you. My name's Justin."

"Good. You were very lucky, sir." He said. "Your car was hit by an out-of-control truck. I don't know what happened, but the truck didn't do any major damage. You're going to be alright."

"Justin, I need to take this out of your hand, okay?" A female paramedic said.

She pulled a Ziploc bag out of the clenched fist of his right injured hand and showed it to him. "A vintage ticket, huh? Must be important."

Justin couldn't help but smile a little. "You have no idea."


End file.
